Chapter 5

“Here it is!”I jumped up, pointing to my screen. I’d been searching for about two hours and had finally found a reference to someone in 1871 who had managed to kill one of the sluagh.

The sluagh attacked a farmer who happened to have an iron pitchfork with him. He managed to stab it, and not only did he pierce it in the center, between the eye and the legs, but the iron sizzled as it touched the sluagh and burned it so badly, he was able to kill it. The farmer hurried to the doctor, then, after getting his wounds tended, he took a group of friends out there to collect the body, and to figure out what it was, but by then the creature turned into a mass of goo and soaked into the ground. While they found sludge where it had fallen, there was nothing to prove the farmer had actually fought what he said he did.

“So iron will burn it, which is typically anathema against the Fae. And it can be damaged with a regular weapon, since the pitchfork apparently wounded it.” Tad jotted down a few notes. “You said that Briar wants this creature dead?”

I nodded. “As a doornail. He specifically instructed me to destroy it. In other words, I’m charged with getting rid of the evidence.” I frowned. “As to finding out where it is, we at least have some place to start, given the attacks happened in Devil’s Gulch.”

Hank nodded. “I can help there,” he said. “I’ve got a number of friends who hang out on the…shadow side…of the world. There are two of them here in town. They keep track of things that might escape the police’s notice. Some beefs and disagreements run below the surface and are better kept out of the light. They might know if something’s hanging out in the Gulch.”

“Speaking of shadows, I wonder if Val Slater might know anything about this. He’s almost always got his finger on the pulse of the town.”

It had been a while since I’d talked to Val. He had stuck to his promise to leave Killian and me alone. The godfather of vampires, at least in this area, Val had developed an oddball crush on me early on when I returned to Moonshadow Bay, and he had taken delight in needling Killian.

After I confronted him, he backed off, and I had to say, he’d been good to his word about it. But Val had another side. He quietly and unobtrusively shored up several charities, and he had sunk a lot of money into helping the disadvantaged in town. Val was also known for having his finger on the pulse of what Hank had called the “underground” and if anybody knew the whereabouts of the sluagh, it would likely be Val.

I put in a call to Val’s assistant. Daniel Ashante spoke for Val during the day, as well as acting as his personal secretary. I’d never call him a friend, but he was definitely an acquaintance, given the years we’d known each other.

“Daniel, this is January Jaxson. I need to talk to Val about something. Can you have him call me tonight? I’ll be home all evening.”

“Will do. Val will be glad to hear from you,” he added. “Is your number the same?”

“Yeah, it is.” I thanked him and hung up. “Well, I think I’m going to go home and rest a bit. I don’t have a migraine, but I don’t want to aggravate the ERS by working too hard at first. But it sure feels good to be back,” I added.

“It’s good to have you back,” Tad said. “We’ve missed you. You belong here, January, even if you are writing a book.”

I nodded. “I think working with all of you is going to help make that book actually happen. I’m not that good at being my own boss,” I added, grinning. “Not everybody’s cut out for the nine-to-five, but it helps me focus. Okay, I’ll see you Monday!” And with that, I transferred the research I’d done to my tablet so I could think about it at home, gathered my things, and headed for the door.

* * *

I stoppedby the nearest Papa Monroe’s Pizza-to-Go and picked up a couple pies, one Hawaiian, and one sausage, pepperoni, extra cheese, and pineapple. Both Killian and I liked fruit on our pizzas, though pineapple was our only real choice. After filling up my car with gas and stopping by the grocery store for whole bean coffee and berries for dessert, I eased into the driveway and set the pizza on the landing at the top of the side stairs. A quick dash to the mailbox to collect the mail, and I was ready to go in.

I glanced over at my old house. I missed it in some ways. I’d grown up there with my parents. Ari and I had sequestered ourselves in my bedroom, talking about boys and school and our plans for the future. Those walls held so many memories, though not all of them pleasant. But now, the memories weren’t all mine. With my in-laws living there, they would create new ones with my sister-in-law’s children. And the ears of the house would listen and remember.

I picked up the pizzas and was trying to balance both them and the mail while fishing out my key.

“Can I help?”

I turned around. Serena stood there, a wide smile on her face. She and William had welcomed me in like one of their own. I had to admit, shifters—especially the wolves—adopted people into their families, and there was never any doubt of whether you belonged. If they loved you, you knew.

“Yes, please,” I said, handing her the pizzas. I found my keys and unlocked the door, ushering her inside before I followed. She carried the pizzas to the table and set them there.

“I saw you out the window,” she said. “You looked like you could use a hand.”

“You were certainly right about that.” I tossed the mail on the table and set my purse beside it. “Want some coffee? And by coffee, I mean a latte or mocha?”

“I’d love an iced caramel latte.” Serena sat down. She was well-acquainted with my passion for caffeine, and she seemed to find it amusing. “A double shot. I’ve got to help William tonight with the bills and accounts.” Serena settled at the table while I flipped on the espresso machine.

A tall woman, Serena was sturdy and athletic. Both Killian and Tally reflected their parents’ looks, from the wheaten hair to the green eyes to the long, smooth noses.

“Do you miss teaching?” I asked.

“Some days, yes. I’ve actually decided to open a preschool run on the lines of the Jullian School.” The Jullian methodology of teaching was to shifters what Montessori was to humans. “I’ve applied to the city for permits. I found a space that would be perfect for it—there’s an empty convenience store on Laguna Way. I can’t run it at home since William needs to focus on his work.”

Instead of renting a commercial space, William had taken over what had been the hidden ritual room and turned it into his home office. Since I had renovated it to be an actual basement instead of having a trapdoor for an entrance, the lower floor was now a nice space, and all the ghosts and chaotic energies were long gone.

“Really? You’d be great at running a Jullian school. Do they charge a lot for a franchise?”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t work like that in the shifter world. Once we’re trained, anybody can open up one as long as they have that certificate hanging on the wall. But the city requires permits, so I’m at that stage right now. And that way, I can take care of Victoria and Leanna whenever Tally needs me to, and she can go back to work. I know she misses working outside the house.”

I handed her the iced latte and pulled another for myself. I sat down opposite her at the table and pointed to the pizzas. “I’m going to pop these in the oven now. You want to eat dinner with me? Killian’s holding his monthly spay and neuter clinic today, so he won’t be home until late.”

Serena eyed the pizzas, her eyes bright. That was one thing about shifters—they had hearty appetites and I never felt like I had to stick to salads around them.

“Well, William is planning on having the guys over to watch a baseball game. They’re going to eat us out of house and home. I told him the men can make their own sandwiches. I was just planning on reading in my office, so sure—I’ll stay for pizza.”

I preheated the oven and slid the pizzas onto baking sheets, then tucked them in to bake. While we waited, we chatted about life in general. I seldom mentioned the nature of my work, because even though she tried to restrain her nervousness, I knew that my occupation made Serena uneasy. Most wolf shifters had serious issues with magic. It wasn’t that they didn’t approve, but it just made most of them jittery. There was something about the energy that didn’t settle well in their aura. And that included phenomena like ghosts, demons, and anything else that you could think of in that realm. So I did my best to make Killian’s parents comfortable. I was lucky that Killian had grown beyond that nervousness.

But I did tell her that I went back to work. “I love writing, but I love people too, so I decided that I’ll just take longer to write the book, and then go back to work part time. Tad’s glad I’m coming back.”

“Will it disrupt your headaches?” Serena and William weren’t quite sure what to think about my energy reflux syndrome, but they never once indicated they didn’t believe it was real, like some people did about invisible disabilities. I never once felt gaslighted or like they thought I was faking it.

“I hope not. We’ll see. I’m doing better, now that I’m practicing a lot more magic, but it will never be the same as if my mother had brought me up to actually use my powers.” I paused, thinking about the whole situation. “But I don’t blame her. Not now that I understand why she did it—and there were several reasons.”

We ate and went on to chat about the shared garden we were working on for the two households. Killian and William had built a large patch of raised beds and we were growing a large kitchen garden together. The men had also planted several apple trees for us and a couple pear trees.

Finally, Serena glanced at her watch. It was seven-thirty. “I’d better go. Thank you for dinner and coffee. See you later, dear.” She kissed me on the cheek and squeezed my hand before heading out the kitchen door. I cleared the plates and our latte tumblers, then rinsed them and tucked them into the dishwasher. After wrapping up the leftover pizza, I wandered into the living room and decided to write for a while.

A little over an hour later, the phone rang.

I glanced at the caller ID. “Hey Val, how are you?”

Val’s voice, smooth as butter, poured out. “Everything’s good,” he said. “So, what can I do for you, January?”

“Sorry about interrupting you, Val. I need to ask you something. Have you heard any odd reports about strange creatures hanging around, especially near Devil’s Gulch?” I described the sluagh to him. “I don’t think they can form-shift,” I added.

He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “There’s a sluagh running around?”

Bingo.He knew what they were.

“Yeah, but I can’t talk about it more than to tell you that I’ve been charged with finding and destroying it. But in order to get rid of it, I first have to find the creature.” I licked my lips.

“Oh good gods, you’re working for the Fae now? What are you, their hitwoman?”

I could practically see him rolling his eyes.

“Well…in this case, yes. I am. And I’ll be in big trouble if I don’t deliver on this. So, help a woman out and just tell me what you know, if anything?” I didn’t like using my “cajoling” voice as I called it—it felt a little sleazy—but Val responded to it, and I needed whatever info I could gather.

He was silent for a moment. Then, he said, “Of course I’ll help you if I can. You know you can always ask me for favors.”

I stretched out on the sofa, sitting against the arm of the sofa and stared at my feet. “Thank you. I doubt if I can reciprocate, but if I can, you know you can call me.” I knew better than promise anything to a vampire. I just wished I hadn’t had to promise anything to Briar.

“I don’t expect anything in return,” Val said. “You chose the wolf. You’re happily married—at least I hope you are. We’re…solid acquaintances.”

That stung, though he was right. “Acquaintances, not friends?”

Val’s voice shifted, becoming more professional—meaning, aloof. “As the Dowager Countess of Grantham said, ‘We are allies, my dear, which can be a good deal more effective.’ So, not friends. But we have mutual respect, and that is something money cannot buy, because it requires a certain amount of loyalty.”

I exhaled slowly. He was right on that—money didn’t promise loyalty. If you could be bought by one person, then someone with a higher price could also buy your secrets. And he was also right in that we weren’t friends. My ego was just a little bruised, but it shouldn’t be.

“You’re right. And sometimes yes, allies are better than friends. Can you check around, and the sooner the better?”

“Of course. I’ll call you tomorrow night?—”

“Thanks, Val. I hope you’re doing well,” I said.

“I truly believe you mean that. I’m good. No worries. I’ll talk to you tomorrow night,” he added, and then, with a brief goodbye, he hung up.

As the line went dead, it hit me how tired I was. Most of the weariness was emotional, but I decided I’d go to bed early with a movie and the cats. Killian would probably be home before I fell asleep.

I had no sooner snuggled in bed when the phone rang again. This time, it was Ari.

“Hi,” I said, trying to keep my voice aloof. I didn’t want to seem overeager. “What’s up?”

“Hey,” she said, sounding embarrassed. “I thought I’d call because…”

I waited for a moment, then decided to save the phone call. “I’m glad you called. How are the kids? How are you?” I missed her children. I didn’t ever want any of my own, but I liked playing auntie to LaKirk and Emily, as much as I enjoyed being auntie for Victoria and Leanna.

Ari cleared her throat, but her voice was stilly raspy. “Look, can we meet? I want… I need to talk about us. I’ve been stupid.”

I tried to restrain myself, but my heart leapt as I made plans to meet her at my house for coffee, at ten. I knew Meagan had instigated this—it was our plan—but I acted surprised. “I’m looking forward to seeing you,” I said. “Tomorrow, then.”

After hanging up, I changed into a nightgown and crawled into bed with the remote. Things were moving—maybe slower than I liked—but I seemed to always find the help I needed. Grateful, I leaned back and turned on the television. I was ready for some mindless entertainment. With Xi and Klaus at my side, I snuggled under the covers, and before Killian could make it home, I slid off into dreamland.